Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to add a statement that English shall be the language of all governmental meetings at which any public business is discussed, decided, or public policy is formulated whether conducted in person or by communication equipment including conference calls, video conferences, or Internet chat or message board?

Yes on 1. I've seen in California how ridiculous things can get when multilingualism is allowed in government offices. It's really not fun to go to the DMV and have them struggle to find a clerk who can speak English well enough to handle your case.

Constitutional Amendment 4

Official Ballot Title:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to change provisions relating to the financing of stormwater control projects by:

limiting availability of grants and loans to public water and sewer districts only;

removing the cap on available funding and existing restrictions on disbursements;

requiring loan repayments to be used only for stormwater control projects?

No on 4. If passed, it appears that this amendment would transfer a lot of money and power to various special interest groups that care about stormwater issues.

Proposition A

Official Ballot Title:

Shall Missouri law be amended to:

repeal the current individual maximum loss limit for gambling;

prohibit any future loss limits;

require identification to enter the gambling area only if necessary to establish that an individual is at least 21 years old;

restrict the number of casinos to those already built or being built;

increase the casino gambling tax from 20% to 21%;

create a new specific education fund from gambling tax proceeds generated as a result of this measure called the “Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Fund”; and

require annual audits of this new fund?

No on A. Although the $500 "loss limit" law is dumb and should be repealed, Prop A ties it to so many other issues that the waters get muddied. Why artificially limit the number of casinos by state law instead of local zoning rules? (To reduce competition for existing casinos, of course.) It's unlikely that Prop A will lead to a real increase in school revenues, since any gains would probably be offset by reduced funding from general revenue.

Proposition B

Official Ballot Title:

Shall Missouri law be amended to enable the elderly and Missourians with disabilities to continue living independently in their homes by creating the Missouri Quality Homecare Council to ensure the availability of quality home care services under the Medicaid program by recruiting, training, and stabilizing the home care workforce?

No on B. We don't need more councils. Let private industry handle it.

Proposition C

Official Ballot Title:

Shall Missouri law be amended to require investor-owned electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydropower with the renewable energy sources equaling at least 2% of retail sales by 2011 increasing incrementally to at least 15% by 2021, including at least 2% from solar energy; and restricting to no more than 1% any rate increase to consumers for this renewable energy?

No on C. Prop C is idiotic. The "2% solar" requirement was just lifted from a similar California law where solar power is much more viable than in Missouri. Let market forces direct investment and power generation technology.

Comments

Constitutional Amendment 1\n\nOfficial Ballot Title:\n\nShall the Missouri Constitution be amended to add a statement that English shall be the language of all governmental meetings at which any public business is discussed, decided, or public policy is formulated whether conducted in person or by communication equipment including conference calls, video conferences, or Internet chat or message board?

\n\nYes on 1. I've seen in California how ridiculous things can get when multilingualism is allowed in government offices. It's really not fun to go to the DMV and have them struggle to find a clerk who can speak English well enough to handle your case.\n\n

Constitutional Amendment 4\n\nOfficial Ballot Title:\n\nShall the Missouri Constitution be amended to change provisions relating to the financing of stormwater control projects by:\n\n

\n\t

limiting availability of grants and loans to public water and sewer districts only;

\n\t

removing the cap on available funding and existing restrictions on disbursements;

\n\t

requiring loan repayments to be used only for stormwater control projects?

\n

\n\nNo on 4. If passed, it appears that this amendment would transfer a lot of money and power to various special interest groups that care about stormwater issues.\n\n

require identification to enter the gambling area only if necessary to establish that an individual is at least 21 years old;

\n\t

restrict the number of casinos to those already built or being built;

\n\t

increase the casino gambling tax from 20% to 21%;

\n\t

create a new specific education fund from gambling tax proceeds generated as a result of this measure called the “Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Fund”; and

\n\t

require annual audits of this new fund?

\n

\n\nNo on A. Although the \$500 \"loss limit\" law is dumb and should be repealed, Prop A ties it to so many other issues that the waters get muddied. Why artificially limit the number of casinos by state law instead of local zoning rules? (To reduce competition for existing casinos, of course.) It's unlikely that Prop A will lead to a real increase in school revenues, since any gains would probably be offset by reduced funding from general revenue.\n\n

Proposition B\n\nOfficial Ballot Title:\n\nShall Missouri law be amended to enable the elderly and Missourians with disabilities to continue living independently in their homes by creating the Missouri Quality Homecare Council to ensure the availability of quality home care services under the Medicaid program by recruiting, training, and stabilizing the home care workforce?

Proposition C\n\nOfficial Ballot Title:\n\nShall Missouri law be amended to require investor-owned electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydropower with the renewable energy sources equaling at least 2% of retail sales by 2011 increasing incrementally to at least 15% by 2021, including at least 2% from solar energy; and restricting to no more than 1% any rate increase to consumers for this renewable energy?

\n\nNo on C. Prop C is idiotic. The \"2% solar\" requirement was just lifted from a similar California law where solar power is much more viable than in Missouri. Let market forces direct investment and power generation technology.